Where did you live/work before coming to Western?
I worked at a small liberal arts college, The College of Wooster, in Wooster, OH for two years before starting at WWU. Wooster is one of the top schools for undergraduate research and taught me a lot about mentoring students’ research and academic journeys. At Wooster, I taught courses on Caribbean literature, Asian American literature, multicultural literature, and gender and sexuality studies.
What is your area of specialty?
My areas of specialty are Caribbean and Asian American literature, with a focus on diaspora and gender, women, and sexuality studies. I’m on expert on Indo-Caribbean literature and feminism which helps me think about Afro-Asian solidarities, identity-based and coalition feminisms, and how people of color engage critically with national and supranational discourses that are celebrated as inclusive but actually maintain a problematic status quo.
It’s been an odd year (to say the least!) for teaching, but what do you like so far about being at Western?
WWU’s students are the most incredible I’ve worked with. They are open-minded, hard-working, and care deeply about social justice. I’ve had to teach about race, ethnicity, and queerness for years, and it’s such a relief to be able to say “white supremacy” or “white heteropatriarchy” to a large class without having to be afraid that someone will misinterpret my critique of racism as a direct attack on them as a white person! Rather, my students seem to be willing to take on difficult topics with a refreshing desire for profound and incisive engagement and transformation. I’ve also noticed that a large number of them also work while studying, and I find their discipline admirable. Student organization on campus, like Shred the Contract and WWU’s SUPER, is also really heartening. In terms of my colleagues, I’m blown away by the hospitality and teamwork of the faculty and staff. And lastly, I feel really confident as a junior faculty knowing that the incredible Faculty Union has got my back.
What stirs joy within you outside of your work?
Life is made up of little joys, and mine is full of them. I love the night sky in Bellingham! I also love watching hummingbirds, and I’m quite devoted to minimizing my harm to them by cleaning their feeders regularly. As a result, my duty of care sometimes veers into a burden, but they are so cute! I also am grateful for lovely walks nearby for my dogs, my wee wildflower garden coming up, and as always, cooking and eating delicious food.
What is your secret “super power”? Tell us something that others may not know about you.
My secret power is being able to become invisible. When I’m not teaching, and I’m on campus just to research or do yoga, I tend to blend into the crowd. It’s a superpower because I disrupt assumptions about professorial authority (yes, I love wearing tweed, but I’m not white nor male) and can be accessible to students while also having the means to aid them in my role as faculty.